Police raided Starbucks Korea related to Tank Day Promotion Campaign

South Korea's police raided the headquarters of Starbucks Korea over alleged insults triggered by a marketing campaign that evoked dark memories of the military crackdown on the 1980 May 18 Democracy Uprising.

The search was carried out in connection with the promotion of "Tank Day" which was held in conjunction with the anniversary of the democratization movement.

Reported by ANTARA from Yonhap, Wednesday, August 5, the campaign has drawn criticism for being considered to tarnish the reputation of the victims of the deadly military crackdown on the movement in the city of Gwangju, southwest of South Korea.

The search took place after a group of civil society reported the Chairman of the Shinsegae Group, Chung Yong-jin, for alleged insult and defamation of the victims of the uprising and the families left behind.

E-Mart, which is the main subsidiary of the Shinsegae Group, holds the controlling stake in Starbucks Korea.

The search and seizure warrant lists the accusation that Starbucks Korea has insulted the fighters of the pro-democracy movement.

The raid was carried out after the police began investigating the company in May for defamation.

Police then found flaws in Starbucks Korea's internal investigation into the controversial campaign, which was eventually canceled shortly after its launch following public outrage.

Investigators are now investigating whether company officials deliberately designed the promotion with the aim of insulting parties involved in the pro-democracy movement.

The controversy started with a discount promotion for a tumbler package titled "Tank", accompanied by the slogan, "Put it on the table with the sound of 'Tak!'".

The campaign immediately sparked public criticism because the word "tank" reminded people of armored vehicles used by the military when suppressing pro-democracy demonstrations in Gwangju.

Meanwhile, the word "No" also drew criticism for reminding some people of Park Jong-cheol, a student activist who died as a result of police torture in 1987 and later became a symbol of the democratization movement in South Korea.

Following the controversy, the head of Starbucks Korea was dismissed from his post, while the Chairman of Shinsegae Group, Chung Yong-jin, apologized for the campaign.